During the push for cockpit protection in Formula One, two devices were tested—the Halo, a rigid frame structure which resembles a flip-flop, and the Aeroscreen, a sort of wraparound windshield. F1 ultimately chose the halo, but Red Bull Advanced Technologies, which developed the Aeroscreen, kept refining the design. Now, the Aeroscreen is headed to IndyCar for the 2020 season.

The IndyCar series announced the decision in a press conference today, and revealed some details on the Aeroscreen itself. The titanium frame mounts directly to the chassis and roll hoop. The screen is made from ballistic-grade polycarbonate with an anti-reflective coating and an integrated heating element to prevent fogging. The design might also incorporate tear-off film to keep the surface of the screen clear, though that's yet to be finalized.

IndyCar says the Aeroscreen has a load-bearing capacity identical to F1's Halo. Dallara, which builds the spec DW12 chassis used in the IndyCar series, is also developing a driver-cooling system to work in conjunction with the Aeroscreen. Teams will receive their Aeroscreens by the fall, at which point, testing can begin.

Until the Aeroscreen is implemented, cars in the IndyCar series will use the Advanced Frontal Protection (AFP) system developed by Dallara. The AFP is a three-inch tall titanium protective structure mounted just ahead of the cockpit.

"Since the first prototypes were developed and demonstrated in 2016, the potential of Aeroscreen to improve the safety for drivers in the event of frontal impacts in the cockpit area of cars has been clear,” said Red Bull F1 boss Christian Horner in a statement. "This new partnership with IndyCar gives us at Red Bull Advanced Technologies the go-ahead to fully explore that potential, and to deliver a protection system that will help prevent serious injuries and potentially save lives in the US's premier single-seater series.

"Over the coming months, we’ll be working closely with IndyCar and its drivers to refine and perfect Aeroscreen, and we’re looking forward to seeing the results race in 2020," he said.

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io

This commenting section is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page. You may be able to find more information on their web site.

A Part of Hearst Digital Media
Road & Track participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites.